plate no. 9602
Karelia. Petrozavodsk
Petros Malayan, 1967
recreation guide
Petros Malayan’s 'Karelia. Petrozavodsk' (1967) is an oil painting that falls within the genre of genre painting, depicting aspects of everyday life or ordinary scenes, though specific visual details of the Petrozavodsk landscape are not described in the provided sources (Source 2). The work is classified under Expressionism, a style that emphasizes emotional experience over physical realism. In this context, the painting likely serves as an 'expression of feeling produced in the consciousness of the artist' rather than a mere photographic record, utilizing oil paint as a medium with 'vast capacity' to convey vitality rather than just illusion (Source 5). The artist’s approach aligns with the principle that art is not a substitute for nature but a symbolic expression, where the material qualities of the paint itself contribute to the emotional impact (Source 5).
estimated time
20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions
materials
6 items
steps
5 in sequence
materials
| item | purpose | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Oil paints (artist grade) | Primary medium for expression; allows for manipulation of texture and translucency. | — |
| Linseed oil | Medium to thin paint and increase drying time/flexibility; essential for 'fat over lean' layering. | Stand oil or refined linseed oil |
| Mineral spirits or turpentine | Solvent for thinning initial layers and cleaning brushes; allows for 'lean' underpainting. | Odorless mineral spirits (OMS) |
| Canvas or panel | Support surface for the oil paint. | Primed linen or cotton canvas |
| Palette knives | For applying thick paint, scraping back layers, or creating textured surfaces characteristic of expressive styles. | — |
| Charcoal or thinned paint | For initial sketching and underdrawing. | Vine charcoal or diluted acrylic/oil |
preparation
surface prep
The surface should be prepared to accept oil paint, likely with a traditional ground. While specific preparation for Malayan is not detailed, standard practice involves ensuring the support is stable. The artist must respect the 'vital qualities peculiar to itself' of the medium, avoiding attempts to deceive the eye into thinking it is looking at real nature, but rather treating the surface as an arena for expression (Source 5).
underdrawing
Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinned paint (Source 8). Given the expressionist style, the underdrawing may be loose, serving as a guide for 'broad masses' rather than precise outlines, allowing the artist to 'depart from it' if necessary to avoid being 'too much tied down' (Source 1).
underpainting
A monochrome underpainting (grisaille) may be employed to establish values before introducing color. This involves 'mentally extracting the red and yellow colours' to translate what would be left in nature, creating a foundation for glazing and scumbling later (Source 6). This step helps in managing the 'chiaro-scuro' and tonal gradations essential for depth (Source 7).
color palette
Earth tones (Umbers, Ochres)
Natural earth pigments
General use in landscape/genre scenes; likely for grounding the composition and establishing mid-tones.
Ultramarine
Ultramarine blue
Cited by Reynolds as a key color for initial paintings; likely used for sky or shadow tones in this landscape.
White
Titanium or Zinc white
Highlighting and mixing; essential for the 'grisaille' preparation and subsequent glazing.
Red/Yellow tones
Vermilion, Cadmium, or similar
Applied later via glazing and scumbling to introduce warmth and vitality, as these are 'extracted' in the monochrome stage (Source 6).
composition
The composition likely organizes elements of design such as line, shape, color, and space to create a visual path for the eye (Source 4). As a genre painting, it may depict ordinary people or scenes without specific identity, focusing on the 'everyday life' aspect (Source 2). The artist likely uses contrast of color and tone to produce spontaneous effects, adhering to the law of simultaneous contrast to enhance the expressive quality (Source 7). Specific compositional moves are not described in the sources, so the artist should focus on balancing 'broad masses' and avoiding 'smallness' or over-modeling (Source 1).
step by step
underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing
underdrawing
step 01
Sketch the basic composition on the canvas using charcoal or thinned paint. Focus on broad masses and general forms rather than fine details.
Tip — Avoid being 'too much tied down to your outline'; allow for flexibility in the final painting (Source 1).
Initial sketching
underpainting
step 02
Create a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) using black, ultramarine, and white. This establishes the value structure without color.
Tip — Mentally extract red and yellow colors to focus on form and light (Source 6).
Grisaille
first pass
step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin applying color using glazing and scumbling techniques. Start with transparent coats of color (glazing) and semi-opaque layers (scumbling) to build up tones.
Tip — Use oil as a medium initially. Be aware that scumbling over a darker ground tends to coldness, which can be used to create a 'grey bloom' (Source 6).
Glazing and Scumbling
refining
step 04
Develop the expressive qualities of the painting. Use palette knives or brushes to manipulate the paint's texture and density. Focus on the 'physicality of the paintings' surfaces' to convey existential struggle or emotion (Source 3).
Tip — Remember that the canvas is an 'arena in which to act' (Source 3). Avoid 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' in favor of expressing feeling (Source 5).
Action Painting/Expressionist Application
finishing
step 05
Review the painting for balance and contrast. Ensure that the juxtaposition of colors creates the desired simultaneous contrast effects (Source 7). Check that the 'fat over lean' rule has been followed to prevent cracking (Source 8).
Tip — Ensure that the painting remains a 'painted picture' and not just an illusion of nature (Source 5).
Final Assessment
critical techniques
Glazing and Scumbling
Used to build up color and tone over a monochrome underpainting. Glazing involves transparent coats, while scumbling involves semi-opaque layers that allow the underlying painting to show through (Source 6).
Fat over Lean
Each additional layer of paint should contain more oil than the layer below to ensure proper drying and prevent cracking (Source 8).
Simultaneous Contrast
Juxtaposing colors to enhance their visual impact and create gradations of light and tone (Source 7).
common pitfalls
- →Being 'too much tied down to your outline' or 'inclined to over-model', which can stifle the expressive quality of the work (Source 1).
- →Attempting to produce a 'meretricious attempt to deceive the eye' rather than expressing feeling through the medium (Source 5).
- →Violating the 'fat over lean' rule, leading to cracking and peeling of the paint film (Source 8).
- →Ignoring the 'vital qualities' of the oil paint medium, resulting in a lifeless image (Source 5).
what the sources don't tell us
Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.
- ·Specific visual details of 'Karelia. Petrozavodsk' (e.g., exact landscape features, figures, lighting conditions) are not described in the sources.
- ·Petros Malayan's specific personal habits or unique techniques beyond general expressionist and oil painting practices are not detailed.
- ·The exact color palette used by Malayan for this specific work is not provided; the palette listed is inferred from general oil painting and expressionist practices.
grounded in
The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- ON COPYING — applied to Advice on avoiding over-modeling and being tied down to outlines (Source 1).
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Techniques of grisaille, glazing, and scumbling (Source 6).
The Practice and Science of Drawing↗
- XX MATERIALS — applied to Importance of medium's vital qualities and avoiding mere illusion (Source 5).
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 6. Put beside each other two flat tints... — applied to Principles of simultaneous contrast and color harmony (Source 7).
cross-referenced from
Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.
Wikipedia: Genre painting↗
- Genre painting — applied to Definition and characteristics of genre painting (Source 2).
Wikipedia: Abstract expressionism↗
- Abstract expressionism — applied to Concept of the canvas as an arena for action and physicality of paint (Source 3).
Wikipedia: Composition (visual arts)↗
- Composition (visual arts) — applied to General principles of composition and elements of design (Source 4).
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — applied to Materials, 'fat over lean' rule, and application methods (Source 8).
Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.
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